"Family Illness" Forces Bairstow To Pull Out

Yorkshire wicket-keeper Jonny Bairstow has withdrawn from England’s ODI squad for their tour of India, which begins in the New Year, and has been replaced by uncapped Yorkshire team-mate Joe Root.

Bairstow cited a “family illness” as the reason for his withdrawal - the same reason that was given for his premature return home ahead of the second Twenty20 International before Christmas.

Bairstow will remain at home for now, but is expected to be back for England’s tour of New Zealand, which commences in February. Root averages 34 in List A cricket, mainly for Yorkshire, and has yet to play a ODI, but has debuted in both Test and Twenty20 cricket in recent weeks.

England’s first match on the final leg of their tour of India is a warm-up match in Delhi on 6th January, with the first of five ODIs on 11th January in Rajkot.